3 

"7  &  A 

f  -*-*s    ^i 

s  AN 

INTERPRETATION  OF 
MAETERLINCK'S 
BLUE  BIRD  ' 

BY 

LIDA  MORSE  STAPLES 

WITH  A  MEMORIAL  NOTE 
BY  ANNA  B.  NEWBEGIN 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

JOHN  J.  NEWBEGIN 

1914 


COPYRIGHT    1914 
BY    INEZ    CRAWFORD 


IN  MEMORIAM 

She  was  clothed  in  spiritual  truth.  The  light  of 
her  understanding  shone  upon  souls  as  the  noonday 
sun,  bringing  unfoldment,  joy,  and  peace.  Pure  as 
dew  upon  the  petals  of  roses  in  the  flush  of  dawn, 
was  her  thought  to  all  mankind.  Her  lips  spoke 
never  censure  or  blame,  for  beneath  the  surface  and 
under  veils  hidden  from  the  material  eye,  she  saw 
the  divine  in  every  soul.  Strong  as  the  Ivy  did 
her  love  cling  to  those  committed  to  her  care.  Within 
that  fragile  form  breathed  a  soul  so  great!  Many 
times  have  I  heard  her  exclaim,  "Ah!  I  could 
mother  the  Earth  if  it  were  possible.''  Greater  love 
than  this  can  no  one  give.  She  lived  for  others. 
The  Saviour's  command,  "Feed  my  Lambs,"  she 
hath  fulfilled.  Ever  they  shall  call  her  blessed. 
Many  shall  read  this  little  book  in  wonder  and 
silence.  The  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit:  and  her 
reaping  shall  be  through  all  Eternity. 

ANNA  B.  NEWEEGIN. 
'January  12,  1914. 


AN 

INTERPRETATION  OF 

MAETERLINCK'S 

BLUE  BIRD 

I  HAVE  given  this  interpretation,  feeling  that 
it  holds  a  message  for  those  who  can  read 
between  the  lines;  and  I  wish  to  give  to 
others  what  it  has  given  to  me.  I  feel  that  Mae- 
terlinck, our  great  Mystic,  has  put  into  this  fairy 
tale  some  of  the  greatest  truths  of  life.  Nearly 
every  line  is  teeming  with  mystic  meaning. 
Every  time  I  read  it  I  get  a  clearer  insight.  To 
me  it  is  one  of  the  deepest  works  of  the  present 
time,  and  comes  very  close  to  our  every-day  life. 
It  is  usually  called  "A  Search  for  Happi- 
ness," but  to  me  it  seems  to  be  "A  Search  for 
Truth."  The  title  "Blue  Bird"  implies  this. 
Blue,  the  color  which  represents  Truth,  is  the 
Temple  of  Light  through  which  Divine  Intel- 
ligence descends  and  ascends  to  all  parts  of  the 
Universe,  to  the  inner  as  well  as  to  the  outer 
plane  of  life,  carrying  with  it  the  awakening 
principle  of  intelligence.  Bird  is  a  symbol  of 
thought,  upon  whose  wings  all  truth  is  carried. 


tf  T  EX  &*P\R  XTATION    OF 

Surely  in  the  last  analysis  happiness  is  the  result. 
Let  us  call  it  an  individual  search  for  Universal 
Truth. 

If  the  reader  will  lose  sight  of  personality, 
and  will  look  upon  the  characters  of  this  fairy 
tale  as  powers,  principles,  or  qualities,  obtain- 
ing in  his  own  life,  he  will  better  understand 
the  import  of  each. 

In  speaking  of  the  intellect  I  do  not  intend 
to  disparage  in  any  way  that  most  valuable  and 
necessary  attribute  of  our  human  existence,  but 
wish  rather  to  interpret  what  I  think  the  author 
of  the  "  Blue  Bird  "  intends  to  imply ;  that  with- 
out the  aid  of  the  inner  consciousness,  the  outer, 
or  intellect,  cannot  comprehend  the  truths  of 
life  essential  to  real  happiness. 

ACT  I 

The  story  introduces,  in  a  simple  but  comfort- 
able home,  two  wood-cutter's  children,  Tyltyl 
(Intellect)  and  Mytyl  (Intuition).  It  is  Christ- 
mas eve,  the  time  that  commemorates  the  birth 
of  Christ,  or  Truth  in  the  soul.  The  mother 
has  tenderly  tucked  these  little  ones  in  for  the 
night,  and  retired,  first  extinguishing  the  light 
which  stands  on  the  table. 

After  a  few  moments  of  darkness,  a  light 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

filters  in  through  the  shutters,  and  the  lamp  on 
the  table  lights  again  of  itself ;  but  the  light  is 
of  a  different  color  from  that  which  Mummy 
Tyl  put  out  (^he  awakening  of  consciousness). 

The  children  have  awakened  and  discovered 
that  Mummy  Tyl  has  forgotten  to  put  out  the 
lamp.  This  gives  /Tyltyl  an  idea.  The  intellect 
always  realizes  that  it  has  an  idea  when  touched 
by  the  light  6f  the  Spirit. 

They  get  up  and  run  to  the  window  to  watch 
a  party  given  by  rich  children  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street,  feeling  the  contrast  between 
their  simple  surroundings  and  the  brightness 
opposite.  Mytyl  complains  that  she  cannot  see, 
andTyltyl,  who  is  taking  up  the  whole  stool  upon 
which  the  children  have  climbed,  informs  her 
that  she  cannot  see  because  she  is  looking  at 
the  wall.  She  replies  that  she  is  looking.at  the 
wall  because  she  has  no  room.  When  intellect  ... 
usurps  all  power,  intuition  always  feels  that  it 
has  no  room  and  is  looking  at  a  wall. 

At  the  height  of  their  joy  a  rap  is  heard  at 
the  door,  which  opens  to  admit  a  little  old 
woman,  dressed  in  green  with  a  red  hood  on 
her  head.  She  is  humpbacked,  lame,  and  near- 
sighted, and  walks  bent  on  a  stick.  She  is  ob- 
viously a  fairy  whom  we  will  call  Life  Urge; 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

that  within  each  of  us  which  urges  us  on  to 
higher  things,  to  gain  spiritual  knowledge. 

She  asks  the  children  if  they  have  the  grass 
that  sings,  or  the  bird  that  is  blue.  ( Grass  that 
sings— Hope  in  the  human  breast ;  and  the  Blue 
Bird — Truth.)  She  tells  them  that  she  can  do 
without  the  grass  that  sings  "  at  a  pinch  "  ( often 
in  despair  one  discovers  a  great  truth),  but  she 
must  have  the  Blue  Bird.  It  is  for  her  little 
girl  who  is  ill,  and  cannot  be  well  or  happy 
until  she  has  the  Blue  Bird  (Truth).  Tyltyl 
acknowledges  that  he  has  a  bird,  but  he  cannot 
give  it  away  because  it  is  his.  Intellect  is  never 
inclined  to  give  up  a  truth  of  its  own ;  that  is, 
he  does  not  recognize  that  any  of  it  belongs 
to  Intuition,  who  is  ill  and  powerless,  because 
he  does  not  share  it  with  her.  She  cannot  ex- 
press herself  while  Intellect  claims  all  truth  as 
his  own.  But  Life  Urge  tells  him  she  does  not 
want  it ;  it  is  not  blue  enough ;  that  they  will 
have  to  go  in  search  of  the  one  she  wants. 

She  asks  them  if  they  will  go  out  by  the 
chimney,  the  window,  or  the  ceiling.  Tyltyl 
chooses  the  door,  whereupon  she  informs  him 
that  that  is  impossible ;  they  must  go  out  by  the 
window  (progression  through  perception).  In 
starting  on  our  journey  in  search  of  the  truth, 

4 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

we  must  take  a  new  departure.  It  would  never 
do  to  go  in  the  same  old  way.  She  asks  what 
they  were  doing  when  she  knocked.  When  they 
tell  her,  she  assures  them  that  the  same  joy  and 
beauty  that  they  are  envying  in  others,  is  in 
their  own  life.  But  Tyltyl  cannot  see  it.  (In- 
tellect always  judges  by  appearances.  He  can 
"see  all  that  isn't  hidden".)  She  gives  Tyltyl 
a  little  green  cap  with  a  shining  diamond  in 
the  front  (symbol  of  intelligence  adorned  with 
the  power  of  perception).  When  he  has  this 
on  his  head  and  turns  the  diamond  (perception) 
toward  the  left  (his  heart  or  his  love  nature), 
it  will  open  his  eyes  to  the  truth.  It  is  all  she 
can  give  him  for  his  search  for  the  truth.  The 
flying  carpet  and  the  ring  that  makes  its  wearer 
invisible  she  knows  would  be  more  useful  to 
him ;  but  she  has  lost  the  key  of  the  cupboard 
in  which  she  has  locked  them.  These  are  the 
symbols  of  black  magic,  for  which  Life  Urge 
has  no  use.  By  using  the  diamond  intelligently, 
he  will  be  able  to  behold  the  past  and  the  fu- 
ture and  understand  the  truth  which  exists  in 
each. 

He  turns  the  diamond  under  the  direction 
of  Life  Urge,  and  the  souls  of  all  the  animals 
and  things  are  revealed  to  him.  Each  character 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

introduced  in  this  act  is  typical  of  some  phase 
of  human  nature.  Here,  Maeterlinck  through 
the  Fairy  gives  some  deep  philosophy  in  ex- 
plaining to  the  little  ones  a  few  of  the  charac- 
ters as  they  appear.  When  the  Hours  come 
forth  dancing,  Tyltyl  asks,  "  Who  are  all  those 
pretty  ladies?"  She  replies,  "They  are  the  hours 
of  your  life  and  they  are  glad  to  be  free  and 
visible  for  a  moment/'  It  causes  one  to  imagine 
how  joyous  life  will  be  when  one's  thoughts 
are  so  pure  that  they  can  be  free  and  visible  to 
the  world  without  fear.  When  he  asks  if  the 
walls  are  made  of  precious  stones,  she  is  made 
to  say,  "All  stones  are  alike,  all  stones  are  pre- 
cious ;  but  man  sees  only  a  few  of  them."  Stones 
are  a  symbol  of  truth,  and  all  truth  is  precious, 
however  insignificant  it  may  seem ;  but  man  sees 
only  a  few  and  misses  the  most  important  be- 
cause they  look  ugly  to  him. 

Again,  when  he  asks,  "  Who  are  those  ugly 
little  men  ?"  she  replies,  "  They  are  merely  the 
souls  of  the  Quartern-loaves,  who  are  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  reign  of  truth  to  leave  the  pan  in 
which  they  were  too  tightly  packed."  (Bread 
symbolizes  Universal  Substance.  Jesus  used  it  as 
a  symbol  of  himself — "  I  am  the  bread  of  life." 
He  is  the  truth  expressed  in  substance.)  In  his 


M  AETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

dress  Bread  wears  the  scimitar,  a  symbol  of  pro- 
te&ion.  The  figure  is  carried  out  by  his  impor- 
tant attitude,  and  by  his  being  all  things  to  all 
men.  Many  of  us,  whose  ideas  are  too  tightly 
packed  in  the  narrow  limits  of  conservatism,  are 
glad  to  take  advantage  of  a  truth  when  it  is  pre- 
sented to  us,  to  get  into  a  broader  field  of 
thought.  Dog  represents  the  faithful  or  positive 
side  of  our  nature,  and  Cat  the  treacherous  or 
negative  side,  ever  working  against  each  other ; 
and  if  we  look  closely  into  our  natures  we  shall 
see  fire,  water,  sugar,  and  milk  constantly  play- 
ing their  parts  in  our  lives.  Light,  the  most  im- 
portant of  all,  is  a  symbol  of  that  "  Light  which 
lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world/' 
This  is  the  Christ  consciousness  within,  which 
guides  and  diredts  us,  and  to  which  every  truth 
as  discovered  must  be  brought  to  prove  its  pur- 
ity. No  truth  is  legitimate,  unless  it  is  the  off- 
spring of  Intellect  and  Intuition,  united  in  holy 
bonds,  a  veritable  marriage  in  Cana. 

Three  loud  knocks  on  the  door  at  the  right 
cause  an  alarm,  and  Tyltyl  turns  the  diamond 
too  quickly  from  left  to  right,  and  the  souls 
of  the  animals  and  things  have  not  time  to 
get  back  to  their  places,  and  the  children  are 
obliged  to  take  them  with  them  on  their  journey . 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

( Through  fear  we  fail  to  keep  things  in  their 
places,  so  they  become  an  annoyance  to  us  while 
we  are  on  our  life  journey  in  search  of  truth.) 
The  Fairy  tells  them  that  all  that  accompany 
the  children  will  die  at  the  end  of  the  journey. 
When  we  have  finished  our  search  for  any  truth, 
and  have  gained  an  understanding  of  it,  then 
0riir~the  annoyances  which  have  accompanied 
us  return  to  their  places  "or  die,"  that  is,  their 
power  over  us  is  gone.  We  shall  have  domin- 
ion, and  they  will  be  our  willing  servants. 

In  taking  their  departure,  the  Fairy  tells 
Bread  to  carry  the  cage  in  which  the  Blue  Bird 
will  be  put,  when  it  is  found.  It  is  to  be  in 
his  charge.  Nothing  exists  that  has  not  a  truth 
underlying  it.  And  whatever  truth  we  find  in 
Substance  must  also  be  reflected  in  the  symbol. 
As  Bread  symbolizes  Universal  Substance,  Truth 
when  it  is  found  will  be  placed  in  its  keeping. 
All  truth  is  limited  when  it  reaches  its  ultimate 
expression  or  its  symbol.  Therefore  the  cage. 

ACT  II 

This  act  finds  them  at  the  Fairy's  palace, 
where  each  dons  a  costume  suited  to  his  char- 
acter, the  most  significant  being  that  of  Light. 
In  the  controversy  between  the  animals  and 

8 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

things  about  the  different  garbs,  Bread  is  made 
to  say,  "  But  the  great  thing  was  the  dressing 
of  Light !  The  Fairy  thought  her  so  lovely  that 
she  did  not  want  to  dress  her  at  all !  Thereupon 
I  protested  in  the  name  of  our  dignity  as  essen- 
tial and  eminently  respectable  elements ;  and  I 
ended  by  declaring  that,  under  these  conditions, 
I  should  refuse  to  be  seen  with  her."  Life  t 
does  not  want  to  dress  her,  but  Substance  knows 
that,  when  soul  is  fully  expressed,  he  will  have 
no  individuality.  For  "  we  know  that  when  he 
shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall 
see  him  as  he  is."  Life  Urge  sees  Light  as  she 
is,  and  wishes  to  express  her  in  her  fullness ;  but 
Substance  realizes  that  he  will  lose  his  identity 
in  Light.  Here  material  substance  dominates 

But  Light  settles  the  question  by  choosing 
the  moonbeam  dress,  that  is,  she  clothes  herself 
with  the  intelledt.  When  Life  Urge  hits  us  on 
the  head  and  the  stomach,  —  when  she  arouses 
our  intellect  and  intuition,  and  causes  us  to  real- 
ize the  important  part  that  Light  plays  in  our 
lives, —  then  are  we  willing  to  be  convinced  to 
a  certain  extent;  but  the  intellect  must  still  play 
its  part  as  a  covering  for  the  Soul,  preventing 
its  full  expression. 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

When  they  are  ready,  Life  Urge  decides  to 
send  the  children  to  the  "Land  of  Memory/' 
to  visit  their  late  grandparents  and  spend  the 
evening  in  the  bosom  of  their  dead  family. 
They  are  to  go  alone,  as  it  is  proper  that  only 
they  who  believe  in  the  dead  should  visit  them, 
that  is,  the  family.  Light  cannot  go,  and  Life 
Urge  has  not  been  invited.  In  these  few  lines, 
Maeterlinck  has  revealed  the  import  of  these  two 
characters,  Light  and  the  Fairy,  and  he  has  also 
caused  the  Fairy  to  utter  a  deep  truth  which 
would  be  a  blessing  to  humanity  could  it  be 
realized ;  but  "  men  do  not  know  this  secret, 
because  they  know  so  little."  It  is  only  when 
we  have  the  power  of  inner  perception  ( the  dia- 
*  mond )  that  we  know  that  they  who  have  gone 
ry  before  are  not  dead  while  they  live  in  our  mem- 
OI7 ;  and  later,  in  their  visit  to  the  graveyard,  al- 
though they  did  not  find  the  Blue  Bird  there, 
the  children  discovered  the  beautiful  truth  that 
there  really  are  no  dead.'i*1"1*'™111/  't  ^  *"« 
As  they  approach  the  Land  of  Memory, 
Mytyl  can  see  nothing  in  the  fog  that  lies  be- 
tween. Sjie  loses  sight  of  her  feet  ( understand- 
ing ),  and  her  hands  ( powers ),  and  is  cold.  In- 
tuition always  becomes  cold  and  powerless  when 
Intellect  is  searching  in  the  past.  "  Now  is  the 

10 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

accepted  time.  Now  is  the  day  of  salvation/' 
Now  is  Truth  hanged  upon  the  cross  between 
the  Past  and  the  Future.  The  Past  railed  and 
scoffed  at  him ;  but  the  Future  called  upon  him 
for  deliverance,  and  his  promise  was  NOW. 
"Today  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise." 
The  Past  and  the  Future  are  the  two  thieves  that 
rob  us  of  our  legitimate  Paradise,  which  we  re- 
gain only  by  turning  to  the  present  and  recog- 
nizing the  truth. 

During  their  conversation  in  the  Land  of 
Memory,  it  is  Intuition  who  calls  attention  to 
the  Bird.  Whereupon  Intellect  recognizes  that 
it  is  Blue  (Trijth).  In  leaving  the  Land  of 
Memory  she  asks,  "  Where  is  Light  ? "  When 
he  acknowledges  that  he  does  not  know,  the 
bird  is  no  longer  blue.  Then  does  Intuition  cry 
out,  "  Give  me  your  power,  little  brother.  Your 
lack  of  confidence  in  me  makes  me  *  frightened 
and  cold'." 

ACT  III 

The  description  of  the  Palace  of  Night  is 
deeply  significant.  Night  symbolizes  intellect 
or  ignorance;  that  ignorance  which  comes  from 
a  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  inner  and  higher 
planes  of  life.  The  rays,  emanating  from  the 

I  I 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

black  marble  and  ebony,  being  its  only  light; 
the  irregular  shape  of  the  hall ;  the  basalt  steps, 
divided  into  three  successive  stages  (physical, 
intellectual,  and  spiritual  planes  of  life ) ;  and 
Night,  seated  on  the  second  plane  with  the  two 
children,  Sleep  and  Death,  beside  her — produce 
a  true  picture  of  our  intellectual  existence. 

Night  ( Negation),  who  is  the  guardian  of  the 
mysteries  of  life,  has  the  co-operation  of  Cat 
(symbol  of  the  negative  or  seemingly  treacher- 
ous side  of  our  nature,  which  is  always  afraid 
of  losing  something  that  belongs  to  the  realm 
of  the  intellect,  and  usually  goes  in  advance  and 
warns).  He  it  is  that  discloses  the  fact  that 
when  the  Blue  Bird  (Truth)  is  found,  mystery 
will  no  longer  exist,  and  all  things  will  be  at 
the  mercy  and  under  the  conscious  dominion 
of  man ;  that  when  Light  is  guiding  our  intel- 
ligence, we  shall  learn  that  the  real  truth,  the 
one  that  can  live  in  the  light  of  day  (Spirit), 
is  hidden  in  the  truth  of  our  dreams,  which 
truth,  fed  by  the  light  of  the  intellect,  dies  as 
soon  as  exposed  to  the  light  of  the  Spirit. 

Light  cannot  cross  the  threshold  of  Night, 
but  she  sends  the  lesser  intelligences  to  find  the 
secrets  which  Night  holds. 

When  they  discover  the  real  truth  there,  then 

12 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

will  Light  enter  and  take  possession.  "  The  gates 
of  it  shall  not  be  shut  at  all  by  day :  for  there 
shall  be  no  night  there/'  When  Intellect  catches 
all  the  truths  that  belong  to  his  realm,  and  brings 
them  to  light,  he  discovers  that  they  have  no 
life.  They  cannot  live  in  the  light  of  day  ( Spirit), 
As  the  children  and  their  attendants  are  heard 
approaching  the  Palace,  the  Cat  tells  Night  that 
all  are  friendly  excepting  Dog,  who  is  the  only 
one  not  on  their  side,  and  that  it  is  impossible  to 
keep  him  away.  The  positive  side  of  our  nature 
is  ever  on  the  alert  to  help  and  proted:,  if  Intel- 
left  will  allow  it  to  express  itself.  Night  is  un- 
willing to  give  up  her  keys  to  Tyltyl  until  he  has 
shown  her  the  sign — "  Behold  the  Diamond ! " 
Ignorance  always  yields  to  the  sign  of  Intelli- 
gence. When  Intelled:  desires  to  have  the  keys 
to  the  mysteries  of  life,  it  is  only  through  the 
use  of  the  powers  of  perception  ( Diamond)  that 
he  can  obtain  them.  When  he  has  this,  he  has 
the  courage  to  open  all  the  doors,  and  investi- 
gate along  every  line  of  life ;  a  "  peep  through 
the  key-hole  "  will  not  suffice.  When  the  ghosts 
are  released,  Night  is  afraid  of  losing  them,  be- 
cause they  have  felt  bored  since  man  has  ceased 
to  take  them  seriously.  Whenever  we  cease  to 
take  the  ghosts  of  our  lives  seriously  they  will 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

trouble  us  no  more.  They  are  held  in  captivity 
only  by  the  lower  senses  ( the  whip  of  snakes) . 

In  opening  the  cavern  where  the  giant  Silence 
is  confined,  Maeterlinck  makes  Tyltyl  show 
great  fear  and  trembling.  The  Intellect  realizes 
that  under  the  influence  of  silence  its  own  powers 
become  useless.  Its  "  hands  are  frozen."  It  can- 
not comprehend  the  fullness  of  command.  "  Be 
still  and  know."  When  Tyltyl  approaches  the 
great  middle  door,  Night  through  fear  of  her 
own  loss  warns  him,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  not  to 
open  that  door;  but  Tyltyl,  although  a  little 
shaken,  is  determined.  So  she  asks  him  to  wait 
until  she  has  sought  refuge  in  her  windowless 
tower. 

The  key  has  hardly  touched  the  door  before 
its  tall  wide  leaves  glide  apart,  and  disappear  in 
the  thickness  of  the  walls,  revealing  a  dream 
garden  bathed  in  nocturnal  light,  where,  among 
stars  and  planets,  fairy-like  blue  birds  fly  from 
moonbeam  to  moonbeam,  illuminating  all  that 
they  touch.  The  "  great  middle  door  "  is  the  door 
of  the  intellectual  realm,  through  which  all  must 
pass  to  reach  the  higher  spiritual  stage  of  life. 
Behind  this  door,  within  this  realm,  are  thou- 
sands, millions  of  truths  which  feed  only  on  the 
moonbeams  (Intellect),  which,  when  brought 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

to  the  light  of  Spirit,  "die."  The  one  great 
Truth,  the  only  one  that  can  live  in  both  realms, 
is  too  high  to  be  reached  in  this  stage  of  develop- 
ment. When  this  door  is  fearlessly  thrown  open, 
Ignorance  (Night)  seeks  her  windowless  tower 
(Nonperception). 

Scene  2.  After  their  experience  at  the  Palace 
of  Night  (the  Realm  of  Ignorance)  the  children, 
by  natural  sequence,  resume  their  search  in 
the  forest  (Nature).  It  is  night;  the  moon  is 
shining.  This  indicates  that  we  are  still  work- 
ing under  the  light  of  intellect  alone,  and  Cat, 
the  negative  side,  is  dominant,  deceitfully  plan- 
ning to  destroy  and  make  futile  all  attempts  to 
seek  further  for  the  truth  in  this  wonderful, 
interesting  domain.  His  suggestion  to  Tyltyl 
to  stand  in  the  moonbeam,  that  he  may  see 
better  when  he  turns  the  diamond,  takes  from 
Tyltyl  the  power  to  reason  from  the  higher 
consciousness;  and  although  Dog  (the  positive) 
stands  faithfully  by,  he  too  is  bound  and  gagged 
through  Cat's  insistent  demand.  But  even  then, 
he  comes  to  the  rescue  when  we  are  in  trouble 
through  listening  to  the  treacherous  side  of  our 
nature. 

Among  the  trees  which  represent  the  prin- 
ciples of  life  in  nature,  Tyltyl  discovers  the 

15 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

Blue  Bird  perched  upon  the  Oak's  shoulder, 
the  Oak  being  one  of  the  most  ancient  sym- 
bols of  nature's  principles.  In  the  conversation 
between  the  Oak  and  Tyltyl,  Maeterlinck  has 
given  us  a  clew  to  the  objecl:  of  the  children's 
search.  He  makes  the  Oak  say,  "  Yes,  I  know 
that  you  are  looking  for  the  Blue  Bird,  that  is 
to  say,  the  great  secret  of  things  and  of  happi- 
ness/' showing  that  it  is  the  secret  of  happiness, 
and  not  happiness  itself,  that  they  are  seeking. 
No  real  happiness  is  obtained  without  a  full 
knowledge  of  the  truth  regarding  happiness. 
Maeterlinck,  in  his  "  Wisdom  and  Destiny," 
that  book  of  books,  which  is  music  to  the  soul 
of  all  who  read  it  understandingly,  says :  "  To 
be  happy  is  only  to  have  freed  one's  soul  from 
the  unrest  of  happiness.  It  were  well  if,  from 
time  to  time,  there  should  come  to  us  one  to 
whom  fortune  had  granted  a  dazzling,  super- 
human felicity,  that  all  men  regarded  with 
envy ;  and  if  he  were  very  simply  to  say  to  us, 
'All  is  mine  that  you  pray  for  each  day :  I  have 
riches,  and  youth,  and  health ;  I  have  glory,  and 
power,  and  love ;  and  if  today  I  am  truly  able 
to  call  myself  happy,  it  is  not  on  account  of 
the  gifts  that  fortune  has  deigned  to  accord  me, 
but  because  I  have  learned  from  these  gifts  to 

16 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

fix  my  eyes  far  above  happiness.  If  my  mar- 
velous travels  and  victories,  my  strength  and  my 
love,  have  brought  me  the  peace  and  the  glad- 
ness I  sought,  it  is  only  because  they  have  taught 
me  that  it  is  not  in  them  that  the  veritable  glad- 
ness and  peace  can  be  found.  It  was  in  myself 
they  existed,  before  all  these  triumphs ;  and  still 
in  myself  are  they  now,  after  all  my  achieve- 
ment ;  and  I  know  full  well  that  had  but  a  little 
more  wisdom  been  mine,  I  might  have  enjoyed 
all  I  now  enjoy  without  the  aid  of  so  much 
good  fortune.  I  know  that  today  I  am  happier 
still  than  I  was  yesterday,  because  I  have  learned 
at  last  that  I  stand  in  no  need  of  good  fortune 
in  order  to  free  my  soul,  to  bring  peace  to  my 
thoughts,  to  enlighten  my  heart/ ' 

Also,  he  has  made  the  Oak  say  that  through 
this  power  of  perception,  this  "  talisman  stolen 
from  the  powers  of  Earth,"  we  are  able  to  take 
possession  of  this  truth,  and  to  snatch  from  Nature 
the  secrets  which  she  has  kept  since  the  origin 
of  life.  We  allow  the  things  of  nature  to  torment 
and  harm  us,  but  if  we  could  only  remember 
to  turn  the  diamond  of  Intelligence  upon  them, 
then  would  we  have  the  power  to  put  them  all 
in  their  places,  and  have  full  dominion  over 
them.  But  if,  in  our  search  in  nature,  we  de- 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

pend  upon  its  negative  or  treacherous  side  (the 
Cat)  for  information  and  guidance,  we  forget; 
and  in  our  struggle,  it  is  the  positive  ( Dog)  who 
comes  to  our  rescue.  It  is  also  he  who  announces 
the  approach  of  Light,  who  reminds  us,  when 
she  is  come,  to  turn  the  diamond.  It  is  danger- 
ous to  awaken  the  forces  of  nature,  when  we  have 
not  the  light  of  Intelligence  to  control  them. 

ACT  IV 

The  new  act  which  Maeterlinck  has  intro- 
duced into  the  play  is  not  so  deeply  mystical, 
but  exquisitely  beautiful  in  portraying  the  gospel 
of  duty  and  love,  and  also  in  showing  the  prox- 
imity of  misery  and  happiness,  separated  only  by 
"  vapor  or  a  fine  veil."  In  this  act  the  Blue  Bird 
is  not  seen ;  for  here,  as  in  the  Kingdom  of  the 
Future,  only  the  Great  Truth  counts,  and  those 
figuring  in  the  Palace  of  Happiness  cannot  com- 
prehend. When  we  allow  eating,  drinking,  idling 
of  time,  or  any  of  the  luxuries  of  life,  to  control 
us,  we  lose  our  respect  for  the  higher  things  and 
even  tamper  with  the  Soul.  But  when  we  turn 
the  diamond,  or  throw  upon  all  this  ignorance 
the  light  of  our  inner  perception,  the  luxuries 
fade  into  insignificance,  and  life  takes  on  a  dif- 
ferent aspect.  We  have  not  moved,  but  our  eyes 

18 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

see  differently.  We  now  behold  the  truth  of 
things,  and  this  brings  to  us  the  soul  of  the  Joys 
that  endure  the  brightness  of  the  diamond. 
"There  are  many  more  Happinesses  on  earth 
than  people  think ;  but  the  generali^  of  men 
do  not  discover  them/'  A* 

Even  the  higher  Joys  are  not  ready  for  the 
Great  Truths ;  for,  as  with  the  Great  Joy  of  Lov- 
ing, "do  what  you  will,  you  are  ever  so  much 
too  small  to  see  her  altogether."  And  the  beauti- 
ful tender  touch  that  Maeterlinck  has  put  into 
Maternal  Love  must  make  every  mother  heart 
who  reads  it  feel  grateful  to  the  author  for  show- 
ing the  sacred  truth  which  she  cannot  always 
make  manifest.  "  I  always  wear  it,  but  people 
do  not  see  it,  because  people  see  nothing  when 
their  eyes  are  closed." 

To  me  this  whole  passage,  given  by  Maternal 
Love,  is  the  deepest  and  tenderest  idea  of  mother 
love  that  has  ever  been  written ;  and  I  think  that 
here,  perhaps,  more  than  in  any  other  part  of 
the  play,  Maeterlinck  shows  the  true  character 
of  Light,  for  all  of  the  great  Joys,  beautiful  and 
noble  as  they  are,  are  not  great  enough  to  be- 
hold Light  unveiled.  Maternal  Love,  dear  as  it 
is,  must  expand  into  Universal  Love ;  the  Joy  of 
Being  Just,  into  Justice  itself;  the  Joy  of  Seeing 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

what  is  beautiful,  into  the  expression  of  Beauty 
only ;  and  the  Joy  of  Understanding,  into  the 
Joy  of  Knowing. 

Then  will  Light  stand  unveiled  and  will  not 
have  to  say  with  the  Master  as  of  old,  "  Mine 
hour  is  not  yet  come."  Intellect  cannot  under- 
stand the  tears  of  joy  shed  by  those  who  have 
come  so  close  to  Light  as  to  receive  the  kiss  of 
respecl.  In  this  sacred  hour  the  only  response 
to  him  is,  "Be  still  and  know/'  or  "Hush,  dear." 

ACT  V 

In  the  Kingdom  of  the  Future,  the  Azure 
Palace,  like  the  Palace  of  Night,  has  its  deeper 
meaning.  Everything  seems  unreal  and  mystical 
except  the  plinths  and  capitals  of  the  columns, 
the  keystones,  and  a  few  seats  and  circular 
benches,  which  are  of  white  marble.  The  Fu- 
ture, although  in  the  main  vague  and  unreal 
to  mankind,  still  holds  for  us  those  pure,  white 
truths  which  are  the  foundation  stones  and  sup- 
porting principles,  without  which  our  present 
existence  would  be  drear  indeed.  The  fewresting- 
places,  some  of  which  we  recognize  as  eternal 
( Circular),  stimulate  our  hope,  and  are  essential 
to  our  ongoing.  The  animals  and  things  cannot 
enter  here :  "  they  would  know  the  future  and 

20 


M  AETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

would  not  obey."  Neither  is  it  well  that  our 
positive  nature  (Dog)  even  should  know  what 
awaits  in  the  course  of  the  ages.  Light  locks 
them  all  up  in  the  vault  of  the  church. 

The  Church  —  that  symbol  of  the  foundation 
principle  of  life,  that  firmament  in  the  midst 
of  the  waters,  created  on  the  second  day,  ancient 
as  time  itself,  and  essential  to  our  freedom  and 
progress  — always  has  its  vaults  (the  lower  dark 
places )  where  our  animal  natures,  which  cannot 
grasp  the  higher  beautiful  truths,  are  confined. 
Our  spiritual  understanding  (Light)  will  never 
allow  our  lower  nature  to  enter  this  Kingdom, 
lest  it  would  know  the  truth  and  refuse  to  obey. 
The  cherubim  and  the  flaming  sword  ever  keep 
the  way  of  the  tree  of  life. 

Light  assures  the  children  that  it  is  from  this 
Kingdom  that  all  children  who  are  born  upon 
our  earth  come;  and  the  little  blue  children 
teach  Tyltyl  that  none  can  come  to  this  earth 
empty-handed,  and  that  they  must  be  ready 
when  Time  stands  on  the  threshold  and  calls. 
In  the  Land  of  the  Future  everything  is  subject 
to  Time,  who  alone  determines  when  each  shall 
come  into  expression.  The  Blue  Bird  is  not  seen 
there,  because  Light  has  it  under  her  mantle. 
The  Intellect  hides  the  real  truth,  until  it  is 

21 


AN    INTERPRETATION    OF 

brought  into  the  Present,  when  it  is  pink,  sym- 
bolizing Life  and  Love. 

ACT  VI 

The  return  home  is  beautifully  significant. 
The  stage  represents  a  red  wall  and  a  little  green 
door.  It  is  the  break  of  day.  Light  has  to  remind 
Tyltyl  that  this  is  really  his  home  which  he 
left  one  year  ago.  The  red  wall  represents  the 
physical,  the  little  green  door  the  astral  or  men- 
tal, and  the  break  of  day  the  dawn  of  the  Spir- 
itual, which  comes  to  all  after  an  earnest  search 
for  the  truth  in  the  different  phases  of  life.  In 
every  realm  we  find  a  truth  which  belongs  ex- 
clusively to  that  realm;  and,  as  we  have  said 
before,  this  dies  or  changes,  when  brought  to 
the  light  of  Spirit.  But  the  truths  of  the  Future 
cannot  be  grasped  by  the  Intellect,  which  always 
hides  them  (  signified  by  the  mantle  )  until  Light 
brings  them  into  the  present.  Then  they  appear 
to  us  as  real  Life  and  Love. 

This  brings  us  to  the  break  of  day,  the  dawn 
of  the  Spiritual  truth  in  our  minds,  which  always 
places  us  in  that  ecstatic  mood  causing  us  to  for- 
get the  lower  phases  of  life  (the  red  wall  and 
the  little  green  door);  until  Light  (the  Christ 
consciousness)  calls  our  attention  to  them  again, 

22 


\      w 


!  I/'  LT 


MAETERLINCK'S    BLUE    BIRD 

reminding  us  that  they  too  play  their  part  in 
our  lives.  "And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth, 
will  draw  all  men  unto  me."  When,  after  a  con- 
scious search  for  the  truth,  we  return  to  our  old 
conditions,  we  scarcely  recognize  ourselves  or 
our  environment.  Everything  is  more  beautiful, 
and  we  are  happy.  Everything  takes  its  place, 
and  becomes  our  willing  servant. 

Eight  o'clock,  the  hour  when  Light  leaves 
the  children,  represents  the  beginning  of  a  new 
cycle,  that  is,  taking  up  the  old  life  again  with 
new  ideas  and  a  deeper  understanding.  Light 
watches  over  us  until  we  need  her  again,  for 
another  search  into  still  deeper  truths  of  life. 
"  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alwayseven  unto  the  end." 

Scene  2.  The  awakening  has  the  same  setting 
as  A6t  I,  but  the  objects  on  the  walls,  and  the 
atmosphere,  all  appear  more  beautiful.  Daylight 
penetrates  through  the  closed  shutters.  Tyltyl 
and  Mytyl  are  asleep  in  their  little  beds,  and 
the  animals  and  things  occupy  the  same  places  as 
before  the  arrival  of  the  Fairy.  When  Mummy 
Tyl  awakens  them,  she  is  surprised  and  alarmed 
at  their  joy  over  the  changed  conditions,  which 
she  cannot  see,  in  their  home.  When  we  have 
a  spiritual  awakening  and  realize  that  a  new  joy 
has  come  into  our  life,  we  are  often  misunder- 

33 


AN    INTERPRETATION 

stood  by  our  nearest  and  dearest,  who  have  not 
yet  reached  the  understanding  that  we  have. 

After  every  search  for  the  truth,  we  find  that 
we  had  it  right  at  home  within  ourselves  all  the 
time.  We  shall  ever  find  within  ourselves  the 
truth  that  we  are  seeking.  There  is  no  other 
place,  and  when  we  find  it  so,  we  are  willing 
to  share  it  with  others.  When  Intellect  (Tyltyl) 
finds  the  truth  within  himself,  he  gives  it  will- 
ingly to  Intuition,  who  immediately  becomes 
stronger  and  more  powerful.  Then- it  is  that 
he  sees  her  resemblance  to  Light  (the  Soul). 
He  is  now  timid  in  her  presence,  because  he 
recognizes  her  superiority.  She  will  keep  the 
truth  until  he  again  wishes  to  feed  it,  when  they 
will  both  lose  it.  This  is  what  we  call  back- 
sliding. But  he  will  get  it  again. 

"  If  any  of  you  should  find  him,  'would  you  be 
so  very  kind  as  to  give  him  back  to  us?  .  .  .  We 
need  him  for  our  happiness" 


FIVE  HUNDRED  COPIES  WERE 
PRINTED  OF  THIS  BOOK  BY 
TAYLOR,  NASH  AND  TAYLOR 
SAN  FRANCISCO,  DURING  THE 
MONTH  OF  FEBRUARY,  1914 

This  Copy  is  No.Z'Y / 


I 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFCX 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  whic 
book  is  DUE  on  the  last  da, 


22 


l4Apr"5)(. 
18Dec56BC 


REC'D  L.D 

1950 


JAN  2    1957  *<* 
78  Ja'! 


LD21- 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


